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Sunday, June 29, 2008

Mmmmm. So I was looking for a way to use that extremely delicious ginger miso dressing, and I thought green beans would be a nice vehicle. Also, I wanted some tofu, after reading about it on everybody likes sandwiches. As it turns out, pressing the tofu really does make a difference. I wrapped the block of tofu (TJ's extra firm) in a kitchen towel, put it on a plate, and popped the lid of my dutch oven on top (it's cast iron). Next time I'll use something heavier (like the base of the dutch oven) but I stacked some canned beans on top, too. Note- I was just too lazy to get the whole thing down; it's heavy. Which I suppose is the point. Anyway.

After a couple of hours I marinated the tofu in several tablespoons of soy sauce, some sesame oil (not more than 1/2 a teaspoon, that stuff is strong!) and some minced ginger for about 15 minutes. I heated up 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (hot but not smoking) and added the cubed tofu. Am I supposed to call this a saute? Or a stir-fry? There's not much stirring, but there is careful turning with tongs. I like to get at least 3-4 sides crispy. Once the cubes are in place, don't move them until you're actually ready to turn them over, that way they can get golden brown and delicious.

I took the tofu out of the pan and added about a pound of trimmed and cleaned green beans and one sliced red bell pepper, and then covered it to let the whole thing steam a bit. Once the veggies were crisp-tender (stupidest cooking adjective ever, but exactly what you're going for) I took the pan off the heat and tossed them with a couple of tablespoons of the aforementioned Ginger Miso Dressing and served the whole shebang with jasmine rice. Yum. Very tasty and vegan, to boot!

Wednesday, June 25, 2008

So Sunday I was in Whole Foods puttering around and doing some shopping for the week. When I wandered over to the sushi case to get dinner (I had been on a bus all day and didn't feel like cooking, so I made ice cream instead, more on that later) they had a table out where they were offering samples of the dressing shown above. People, if you are into Asian flavors, go out and buy this right now. It is so delicious I almost can't stand it. I noticed tonight that it says 'best before 7/6/08.' OH DARN I'll just have to eat it all the time for the next two weeks. I've had it on sushi and salad, and I can't wait to try it with tofu.

Next step: figure out what's in it so I can make it myself... it was $3.99 for 8 ounces, oy.

Monday, June 23, 2008

What an incredibly lame attempt at a pun. And you know what? I prefer mustard.

So I HAVE been cooking, although I went to Maine for the weekend. Back in the day I was a member of the Windham Chamber Singers and this weekend was the 20th anniversary concert for the group. About 85 singers came back to the new (well, new to me) auditorium and we sang all day and put on a concert on Saturday night. The music was great (many songs were great in that cheesy choral music way) and it was a fun day.... kind of like a reunion but not of the kids I graduated with, just the kids I used to hang out with. Also, I ended up running into a WCS alumna on the bus who couldn't come to the show because she's getting married! So Ellen, if you did come visit, hi! And congratulations. Have fun in Belize!

I made that yogurt cake again. This time, I chopped up some pineapple I had in the fridge and layered it (half the batter, then about 1.5 cups of chopped pineapple, then the other half of the batter) into the cake. It turned out better than the last time, I think, despite Christy accidentally shutting off the oven part way through. I think I might add a little less baking powder next time, or maybe some honey. It tastes a little powdery once it cools. Or maybe I'll up the yogurt and add less oil... the possibilities are endless.

Once it boils, add the penne. My pasta box said 'al dente perfection in 11-12 minutes!' So take note of the time.

Meanwhile, heat some olive oil (couple of tablespoons) in a large skillet and add the cut up sausage. I let the chicken sausage cook till it gets a little color on it, so don't stir too much - if it's moving all the time it can't get brown. I may have also added a clove of chopped garlic, so by all means do, if you like garlic. I like garlic. When the chicken is cooked to your liking, set it aside off the heat.

When the pasta is 4 minutes from done (7-8 minutes in) add the asparagus.

Reserve a cup of the pasta/asparagus cooking water. Drain the pasta and asparagus. While it sits in the colander, add 1/4 cup of the cooking water, a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and the ricotta cheese to the warm pot. Stir it around a bit so it melts into a sauce. Add the penne, asparagus and sausage, season with salt and pepper. You could add a little grated parmiggiano here if you want. If the sauce seems too thick, add a little more of the reserved cooking water to thin it out.

I put the pasta in a bowl and sprinkled the top with the sliced cherry tomatoes, but you could mix them in if you like. Sprinkle with grated parm and serve.

I made a makeshift soup tonight and also stuffed some dates with and wrapped them in turkey bacon. The soup was just ok, because I overdid the oregano, so I'll tell you more about it when it tastes better.

Here is what the dates looked like with cheese inside, before I cooked them:

And again, after I wrapped a basil leaf and 1/3 of a piece of turkey bacon around them, stabbed them with a toothpick and baked in my toaster oven at 45o degrees for about 12 minutes:

Monday, June 16, 2008

I made the same thing for dinner on Saturday and Sunday. Made, not ate. I made the same thing two days in a row.

What you've got to understand is that I never do this. I like leftovers to a degree. I can handle one more lunch from last night's dinner. Sometimes I even take leftovers and make something new out of them, but by day two I'm bored and frequently (I'm ashamed to admit) I toss the last serving of whatever culinary creation is lurking in the fridge after 3 days. But there are so many things out there I want to try that I almost never make the same thing twice in a month, let alone twice in two days.

Empowered by Deb's series of tips and 'don't be scared' advice and inspired by Luisa's pizza post, I set about making pizza dough on Saturday. I used the no-knead recipe from Steamy Kitchen. I can't for the life of me figure out how I got to it, but it turned out beautifully and it was (all together now) SO EASY. I halved the dough recipe, since I was at Adam's and he wouldn't have time to make more pizza all week, and we made one traditional pizza (tomato sauce, basil, fresh mozzarella, olives) and one "flatbread" which is a snooty way to say non-traditional pizza: olive oil, arugula (actually a "tangy" spinach blend of spinach, arugula and radicchio, since they didn't have straight arugula at the store), toasted walnuts and goat cheese with balsamic vinegar. Both were delicious and the tomato based pizza was amazing right out of the oven. The olives gave it a nice salty kick, but it was better hot than cold as breakfast the next day. The goat cheese number was delicious out of the oven and the balsamic vinegar really makes it stand out. Maybe it's just a combo I adore, but I liked it cold for breakfast just was much as hot for dinner.

Sunday I made up another half-batch (at home this time - that's why the pics are dark) of dough in the morning and had another go at both pies before the (disappointing but not yet soul-crushing) Celtics loss. No olives this time (my roommates aren't olive fans) but I used straight arugula on the goat cheese pizza and added dried cranberries. Wow. The cranberries got sort of crispy sticky (my dentist would not approve) but they rounded out the toppings nicely. I also let the dough rest longer at room temp before I stretched it out during round two, and it realy does make a difference.

Here's the kicker: I can't wait to make this again. I've got some leftover tomato sauce and mozz and I'm already excited to see what I can find in the cupboards to put on a flat round of dough. I'll keep you posted.

No-Knead Pizza Doughadapted from the Steamy KitchenThis is the recipe I used, I sort of eyeballed the 3/4 tablespoons but I was trying not to be scared. I used a big bowl and loosely covered it with plastic wrap when called to. I would make it more air-tight in the fridge, but that's just me.Makes 4 1lb loaves. (or two twelve-inch round pizzas if you cut it in half!)2 3/4 cups lukewarm water1 1/2 tbl active dry1 1/2 tbl salt1 tbl sugar1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil6 1/2 cups unbleached all-purpose flour1. Mix the yeast, salt, sugar and olive oil with the water in a large bowl.2. Mix in the flour without kneading, using a large wooden spoon.3. Cover loosely and allow to rest at room temperature for about 2 hours. (If it's cool in your house it might take a bit of time for the dough to double, but if you plan to use it the next day, don't fret, it just gets better with time in the fridge.) You can use the dough at this point, or refrigerate and use over next 12 days. If you refrigerate at least overnight, you’ll develop better flavor in the dough.

Basic Pizza1/4 of the dough recipe above (or half, if you halved it - you get the idea)your favorite tomato sauce (I just open a can of good quality diced tomatoes and heat it up on the stove with half a peeled onion- not chopped, just simmering with the tomatoes. Sometimes a little lemon zest at the end, and don't forget the salt and pepper. A 14 ounce can was enough for one pizza.)1 ball of fresh mozzarella, shredded or thinly sliced (if you use water-packed, be sure to blot it as dry as you can)fresh basil leavespitted black olives (optional)

1. Take your dough out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to start, because it needs to come to room temperature to stretch out.2. Preheat the oven to 450 or thereabouts and make sure your pizza pan (or pizza stone or inverted cookie sheet) is in there, preheating with the oven.3. Take your ball of dough, pat it flat and stretch it out with your fingertips and maybe toss it around on your knuckles for a minute. You want it thin, but not so thin it breaks in the middle. You're going for maybe a 12 inch round. Pay attention to how the light is coming through the middle and put it down if you think it's getting too thin. I start it on parchment paper so I can slide it more easily onto my pan with less risk of burning.4. If you're working on parchment, build the pizza on top of a (second) inverted cookie sheet so you can slide it onto the pan in the oven. If not, take the pre-heated pan out of the oven, put the stretched out dough and top and assemble.5. Start with a thin layer of sauce (thin so you don't drown your pizza), scatter the torn basil leaves and then layer on the mozzarella. It's ok to go sparingly. Scatter the olives if you're using them (do try them, please!)6. Stick it back in the oven for 12-16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (especially if your oven heats unevenly, as mine does).7. Let it sit for a couple of minutes before you slice it, so the cheese can set up - this is especially important if you have a bit of a puddle in the middle from too much cheese... which I did the first time around.

1. Take your dough out of the fridge about 30 minutes before you want to start, because it needs to come to room temperature to stretch out.2. Preheat the oven to 450 or thereabouts and make sure your pizza pan (or pizza stone or inverted cookie sheet) is in there, preheating with the oven.3. Take your ball of dough, pat it flat and stretch it out with your fingertips and maybe toss it around on your knuckles for a minute. You want it thin, but not so thin it breaks in the middle. You're going for maybe a 12 inch round. Pay attention to how the light is coming through the middle and put it down if you think it's getting too thin. I start it on parchment paper so I can slide it more easily onto my pan with less risk of burning.4. If you're working on parchment, build the pizza on top of a (second) inverted cookie sheet so you can slide it onto the pan in the oven. If not, take the pre-heated pan out of the oven, put the stretched out dough and top and assemble.5. Brush the dough with a layer of olive oil (about a tablespoon, I think) then a layer of arugula. Next come the toasted walnuts, (break them up if they're big) then crumble on the goat cheese (it helps to slice it up a bit first if you've purchased a small log instead of pre-crumbled) and if you like, the dried cranberries. You could add another light drizzle of oil, or a scattering of freshly ground black pepper here.6. Stick it back in the oven for 12-16 minutes, rotating the pan halfway through (especially if your oven heats unevenly, as mine does).7. Let it sit for a minute, then drizzle with a tablespoon or two of balsamic vinegar. Don't skip this part, it really ties it all together!

Tuesday, June 10, 2008

So, have you ever found yourself trapped in the web of amusement that is Wikihow? I have a gadget on my google homepage with the "How-to" of the day, and today's new articles is titled How to Cook. Pardon me? You can get all of that in a page? Oookay. It's an encouraging article, but it's absolutely ridiculous. There are entire books on the subject. Many, many entire books. (And for that matter, many, many blogs.) How to Cook seems like a bit of a cheat, to me, but I suppose that's the trouble with the entire Wikihow world. On the other hand, the recommended/related articles at the bottom led me to this little gem: How to Cook for Your Girlfriend. Highlights include:

Assess Your Relationship: If you've been with a girl for a while, cooking a fancy meal that takes a lot of time to prepare can seem really romantic. If you just met the girl last week, however, that same meal can seem kind of creepy.

Go Grocery Shopping: You'll probably see a lot of girls at the grocery store; this is not the time to flirt.

Setting the mood: If you've only been dating a week, you might want to keep it simple: dim the lights, get a friend to guard the door to make sure no other girls stop by, and break out the thick, classy paper plates.

Tuesday, June 3, 2008

One: My oven is hotter in the back. See how nice and golden brown the cake is on the right? And how it doesn't quite get that lovely golden on the left? Hmph. I rotated my pan at twenty minutes! This is absurd!

Two: I did not cook this cake quiiite long enough. Note the sunken center... I must add that this part was delicious and gooey and I quite enjoyed it, but it isn't cooked through. You can see that better in a slice photo.

[Sidenote - isn't this a cute plate? My mom did a lot of legwork to mix and match together a whole bunch of vintage restaurant plates (maybe someday I'll take pics of all my different plates), and because I am sneaky, I now have them. Well, sneaky and she gave them to me. Thanks, mom!]

Anyway, I bought some plain yogurt for something... and I can't quite remember what, but now! luckily! I have plenty of yogurt so I can try this cake out again. Thank goodness. It's delicious and all, and I love the history of the recipe with the cute yogurt jars and all, but I will need to make this again to get it right. If you want to try, here is the recipe, translated from yogurt jars into cups:

Combine yogurt, sugar and eggs in a bowl, stirring until blended. Add the flour, baking powder, and zest, mixing just to combine. Add the oil and stir to incorporate. Molly noted here that it looks an oily mess - and it does - but just keep stirring. My final batter had a couple of lumps, but it's mostly smooth and pretty. Pour and scrape the batter into a buttered 9-inch round cake pan. Also if you DON'T have one of those round pans with the arm that rotates so you can easily release the cake, I strongly recommend them. SO easy to get the cake out, just let it cool first so you don't rip it to bits.

Bake for 30-35 minutes, until the cake feels springy to the touch and a toothpick or cake tester inserted into the center comes out clean. Do not overbake. [This is what freaked me out. I took the cake out at 30 minutes and clearly I should have waited the extra 5.]

Cool cake on a rack for 20 minutes; then remove from pan to a wire rack or plate to cool completely.

When the cake is cool (all the way cool, don't cheat!) whisk together the lemon juice and powdered sugar and spoon/drizzle/pour/apply to the top of the cake where it will soak in and be delicious, especially if there is a sunken undercooked spot in the middle. Eat, with ice cream and/or strawberries if you want. Also a delicious breakfast, and there's yogurt in it, so it's ok.

Sunday, June 1, 2008

Last week I went to the desert. Ostensibly for a the wedding of a sister-of-friend-of-friend, but also to sit in the sun and work on my freckles. The weather was unseasonably cool when we arrived on Wednesday, though they had just come down from a heat wave of 104, and we tried a little laying out but only made it a couple of hours. Thursday we meandered across the mountains in our rent-a-bus and enjoyed the Desert Museum.

If you are ever in Tucson, you simply MUST go check it out, if only for the prairie dogs.

There are also beautiful flowers

And if you get hungry you can go get some Sonoran Hot Dogs at BK's in South Tucson.These were highly recommended by Adam, even before I knew I was going to Tucson. This pic is blurry, but Megan was not actually this excited. At least, not as excited as she was for the legendary In-N-Out Burger! The farthest east In-N-Out just happens to be on East Broadway in Tucson, AZ. What's so amazing about this particular burger? Well, there is the secret menu, but also the meat is HOT and the vegetables are COLD. And it is tasty. Sometimes, if you're lucky, maybe Robert will be working and you can make a new friend.